- The law significantly raises the EU’s renewable energy targets, requiring 42.5 per cent of EU energy to be renewable by 2030.
- In the transport sector, renewables deployment should lead to a 14.5 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.
The European Parliament has approved legally binding targets to expand renewable energy faster this decade. This is a central part of Europe’s plans to curb climate change and shift away from fossil fuels. The law significantly raises the European Union’s (EU) renewable energy targets, requiring 42.5 per cent of EU energy to be renewable by 2030.
According to EU statistics, the share of renewables in the EU’s energy mix currently stands at 22.1 per cent, roughly doubling that share by 2030 – mainly with additional wind and solar capacity. The revised directive also adds renewable energy targets for buildings and seeks faster-permitting processes for wind and solar projects by introducing dedicated “acceleration areas” for renewables.
Under the new directive, national authorities have 12 months to approve or reject new solar and wind farms located in a renewable “acceleration area”. Outside those, the process should not exceed 24 months. In the transport sector, renewables deployment should lead to a 14.5 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.
This is by using a greater share of advanced biofuels and a more ambitious quota for renewable fuels of non-biological origin, such as hydrogen. In addition, under the principle of ‘Positive silence’, investments in renewables would be considered approved in the absence of administrative feedback.
German lawmaker and Parliament’s speaker on the proposal, Markus Pieper, said, “This directive is evidence that Brussels can be unbureaucratic and pragmatic.” We have designated renewables as an overriding public interest, streamlining their approval process. Our focus encompasses wind power, photovoltaics, hydropower, geothermal energy, and tidal currents. Biomass from wood would remain classified as renewable energy.”